The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance (OI4 Alliance) announced the formation of a new advisory board composed of senior executives from manufacturing, the process industry, and information technology a few days ago. This step strengthens not only industrial transformation but also the association’s refined mission to empower its member companies to thrive in the digital age by sharing knowledge, aligning industry standards with real-world implementation, and ensuring the future readiness of emerging Industry 4.0 technologies.
Men of Their Word: 3 Advisory Board Members on Their Motivations
The OI4 Alliance Advisory Board will meet in person for the first time at this year’s Hannover Messe and discuss with established members how to find solutions to industry challenges like resource efficiency, global competitiveness, and digital sovereignty.
Michael Marhofer, CEO of ifm Group SE
© ifm
“The formation of this advisory board marks a new chapter for the OI4 Alliance. Our mission is to empower industrial companies through collaborative digital innovation, bridging the gap between standards and practical implementation. At ifm, we are driving digitalization forward, ensuring that customers benefit from it through simple and standardized adoption. That is why we are doubling down on our OI4 Alliance involvement—to advance these goals beyond the boundaries of competition.”
Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of VDMA Verband Deutscher Maschinen- u. Anlagenbau e.V.
© VDMA
“To stay competitive, European industrial companies must improve collaboration. The OI4 Alliance provides the framework to make that happen. The development and testing of interoperability solutions, such as OPC UA Companion Specifications and Data Spaces in mechanical and plant engineering, play an important role in the industry’s digital transformation. The association is therefore a key partner in advancing our goal of digital, sustainable, and sovereign mechanical engineering.”
Nikolai Ensslen, CEO of Synapticon
© Synapticon
“Germany’s slow response to tech trends and underinvestment in software keep holding back progress. The OI4 Alliance plays a crucial role in closing this gap by promoting open standards and secure data spaces—cornerstones for industrial AI that delivers real business impact and renews Germany’s competitive edge.”
Showcasing Interoperability at Hannover Messe
The OI4 Alliance will unveil the “OI4 Next Bike” demonstrator in hall 8, booth D26, showcasing how secure, interoperable data exchange drives efficiency and competitive advantage. The project integrates the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) for seamless data management and traceability, which is key to enabling the Digital Product Passport (DPP).
“The cross-enterprise exchange of AAS data forms the basis for implementing the DPP, which not only meets regulatory requirements but also serves as a catalyst for process improvements and innovative business models,” explained Ekrem Yigitdoel, Managing Director of the OI4 Alliance. “In less than a year, our community has co-developed four open-source apps and thus provided a compliant prototype system for processing data on a product from the supplier to the shop floor and the customer. This is a prime example of how quickly progress can be made if only enough collaborative industry 4.0 experts join forces.”
The OI4 Alliance’s Role in Manufacturing‑X
As part of Manufacturing‑X, the OI4 Alliance is contributing to the initiative’s internationalization efforts and to its Factory‑X project, helping make data work for competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability. “Factory‑X is taking shape and has the potential to become a transformative force for manufacturing,” said Georg Kube, Head of Industry Data Ecosystems of SAP and OI4 Alliance Board Member. “And I’m happy to welcome yet another exceptional group of leaders in the form of the new Advisory Board into the OI4 Alliance community.”
2025 Industrial Transformation Focus
In 2024, the OI4 Alliance celebrated its fifth anniversary and achieved milestones, including five hackathons and open-source tools that advance digital twins and interoperability. This year, the association focuses on industrial transformation by strengthening data management and cybersecurity, promoting sustainability through its DPP initiative, and defining industrial AI for operational efficiency. Ekrem Yigitdoel, Managing Director of the OI4 Alliance, reinforced this: “Now is the time to unite and secure the future of European manufacturing. We are better together.”